Re: Desktop Multitasking

[vandry@CAM.ORG (Phillip Vandry)]

ga56292@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Kyle Weegs) writes:

>If a desktop program does all of its stuff as multitasked processes under the
>GNO kernel and only uses the desktop part for user I/O, can it continue to do
>whatever it does after another desktop app. is selected in SwitchIt! ?
>(maybe even switch to the GNO shell, while the meat of several desktop apps.
>is running in the background)

Well definately the background stuff in the desktop program can't do any
I/O bound tool calls, like MenuSelect. Nor should it try to access events
because those belong to the foreground desktop app.

But I think it should be possible. If the desktop program is GNO aware, it
can fork() off a background task, like a spreadsheet recalc. If enough desktop
apps were GNO aware, the Manager would have -no- advantage over a SI!/GNO
combination (except price - but it's worth it)

I tried suspending a desktop app and it doesn't currently work. It will
suspend OK, but the event manager grabs all keyboard events even while the
app is suspended. Since the shell doesn't use the Event Manager, it's
impossible to type in the shell.

I also tried shutting down the event manager before suspending it and starting
it up again  after the desktop app continues, but other toolsets depend on
the event manager and you would have to shut them all down (not to mention
save everything for eventual restoration)

Jawaid says he was thinking about doing something about that in the next GNO so
that the GNO console driver can still get keys if the EM is active.

Personally, I can almost guarantee that any desktop program I make in the
future will try its best to work with GNO and be suspendable.

Final note: GNO does not currently work with SwitchIt. GNO 1.0 is too buggy.
GNO 1.1 will work, however.
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| Phillip Vandry | Vandry@Cam.Org | Suicide (n.): What to do if Macs   |
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